site.btaBiserna Cave Approved for Inclusion in Bulgaria’s 100 National Tourist Sites

Biserna Cave has received approval to become part of Bulgaria’s 100 National Tourist Sites. The decision was taken at a meeting of the Coordination Council of the “100 National Tourist Sites” Movement on Tuesday. Official documents outlining the next steps to be undertaken are expected to be received by the Directorate of the Shumen Plateau Nature Park, said the Directorate’s Irina Pavlova.

The “100 National Tourist Sites” Movement was launched in 1966 on the initiative of the Bulgarian Tourist Union. Its mission is to encourage people to get to know Bulgaria’s most beautiful and important natural and historical landmarks, museums and monuments.

Biserna Cave (the name means “pearl”) is an integral part of the natural wealth of the Shumen Plateau in the northeast of the country and represents a valuable element of the park’s ecosystem. As the longest cave in the region, it is distinguished by exceptional rock formations, an underground river, and serves as a habitat for 14 species of bat, one of which is the rare Bechstein’s bat. According to the latest studies, bat species of particular importance for biodiversity in the region hibernate there and serve as an indicator of forest quality. The cave is not only a site of tourist interest but also one of scientific and environmental significance, Pavlova added.

The Directorate of the Shumen Plateau Nature Park makes continuous efforts to preserve and sustainably manage natural resources, with Biserna Cave occupying a special place among them. “We consider that the visitation regime in the cave, limited to the spring and autumn seasons, is an example of genuine nature-conservation tourism. Access is aligned with the life cycle of the protected bat species and complies with the Management Plan of Shumen Plateau Nature Park, as well as with the opinions of researchers from the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences. The inclusion of Biserna Cave in the list of the 100 National Tourist Sites will support its promotion, increase engagement with its conservation, and contribute to the development of environmentally sustainable tourism in the region,” Pavlova further stated.

The cave is inhabited by a rare bat species,. It was observed during winter monitoring of cave-dwelling bats. In 2025, the Mayor of Shumen Municipality, Hristo Hristov, declared his support for the inclusion of Biserna Cave in the list of the 100 National Tourist Sites in a letter to the Chair of the Management Board of the Bulgarian Tourist Union.